Another agency to be hired to speed up Okhla landfill clearance: CM
Expresses concern over delay in meeting waste disposal targets
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal conducted a site visit to the Okhla landfill on Wednesday to assess the progress of waste removal and announced plans to hire another agency to speed up the process.
He also expressed concern over the delay in meeting waste disposal targets. Currently, only 12 lakh tonnes of waste have been removed from the site, falling short of the 18 lakh tonne goal. wTo expedite the process, Kejriwal announced plans to hire another agency for waste removal.
The CM explained that while the process of hiring the second agency is well underway, the delay is attributed to the absence of the Standing Committee in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
The matter regarding the Standing Committee’s formation is pending in the Supreme Court. Once the court issues an order, the committee will be established, and the additional agency can be contracted.
Kejriwal emphasised that both agencies will work in tandem to achieve the target of removing 30 lakh tonnes of waste by May 2024.
During his visit, the CM was accompanied by Delhi’s Mayor Shelly Oberoi, Deputy Mayor Aaley Mohammad, and senior MCD officers.
Speaking about the progress at the Okhla landfill site, Kejriwal said, ‘At the Okhla landfill site, there was a mountain of garbage of 45 lakh tonnes. On November 7 last year, the process of removal of this mountain of garbage began. We had a set target of removal of garbage of 30 lakh tonnes by May 2024. But due to some unforeseen incident, we are lagging behind the target a bit. As per the target, by now 18 lakh tonnes of garbage should have been removed, but only 12 tonnes of garbage could be removed.’
He continued, ‘Since there is no standing committee in the MCD as of now, a case is pending in the Supreme Court, and an order is reserved. Without the Standing Committee, the contract couldn’t be awarded to any other agency. As soon as the Supreme Court issues its order, the Standing Committee will be formed. One more agency will be involved in this, and both agencies will be able to meet the target of May 2024.’
